Bled

Bled town and Lake Bled are probably the most well-known locations in Slovenia. When we are in the country, we stay not far from Lake Bled, which allows us to visit often—for swimming or simply enjoying a drink by the lake in the evening. We usually prefer to go by bicycle, as traffic in and out of Bled can cause long queues, especially during the summer when there are many tourists.

A special place

Lake Bled is a glacial lake that is embedded between the Karawanke mountain range and the footsteps of the Julian alps and Triglav National Park. It has a special blue-green / emerald color which is caused by minerals picked up from limestone and dolimites in the surrounding Alps as the water flows on its way to the lake. Mount Stol which is the highest peak in the Karawanke range is clearly visible from the lake and adds to the beautiful scenery. Driving in and out from Bled town the Kamnik-Savinja alps are also beautifully visible. All of the surrounding mountains provide a beautiful backdrop to Bled lake and contributes to the atmosphere and climate.

Because of its beauty, Lake Bled attracts many tourists every year. Many come for active holidays, enjoying hiking, swimming, and cycling in the surrounding area. Others stop briefly on their way to another destination. As a result, the community around Bled is strongly oriented toward tourism. Most people living in Bled work directly or indirectly in the tourism sector, and many rent out their villas and apartments to visitors—something that has had a noticeable impact on local property prices.

History of Bled

There have been settlements around Bled for a very long time. The castle is Slovenia’s oldest and is believed to date back to the year 1004. It became state-owned after the Second World War. Carefully renovated in the 1950s, it later became a museum. Today, the castle remains a museum and presents the history of the area around Bled.

Tourism in Bled began to develop in the 1850s, when the Swiss healer Arnold Rikli recognized the lakes favorable climate and advantageous location. He established baths, walking paths, and accommodation facilities, and guests and patients stayed in specially built houses.

Through Arnold Rikli, Bled gained international attention. Many hotels and bathhouses were built, and by the early 1900s, Bled was considered one of the top tourist destinations in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Despite this success, Rikli never became particularly popular among the local Slovenes, who nicknamed him Švajcar (“The Swiss”), perhaps because he never learned Slovenian.

After Slovenia became independent in 1991, the development of Bled accelerated once again. Today, Bled is a town with several top-class hotels and restaurants, as well as a range of high-quality activities in and around the area.

Activities

Bled is a great destination for active holidays, offering a wide range of popular activities. If you are using our app to read this post, you can use the menu in the upper-right corner to view a map showing the locations of the most important activity spots mentioned here.

Bicycling

Bled and its surroundings have many well-prepared and maintained bicycle paths. The mountains and natural scenery around Bled make it the perfect place for excursions and to take in the beauty of the surrounding landscape. Once you see it, it’s easy to understand why so many successful professional cyclists come from Slovenia—the terrain is incredibly inviting for cycling adventures.

But beware! The valleys may appear flat and the mountains tall, but this is an illusion you quickly discover once you get on your bike. The valleys themselves have many hills and steep slopes. Depending on your fitness level, we recommend using a mountain bike or e-bike. If you don’t have your own bike, there are plenty of rental shops in Bled and the surrounding area.

This blog plans to cover many bicycle trips soon. In the meantime, we recommend using the official Bled website to plan your cycling adventures.

Swimming

The water in Lake Bled reaches an average temperature of 21–22 °C during the summer months, and sometimes even higher. The water is clean and clear, allowing you to see the lake bottom—a unique and enjoyable experience when swimming. There are several designated spots for swimming around the lake.

• Castle bathing area (Grajsko kopališče) - Located just below Bled castle, This area charges an entrance fee. In return, you get access to a well-organized swimming area with long piers, slides, pools and many other facilities. You can find more information here.
• Olympic rowing center - Next to the rowing center, you will find grassy areas, sandy beaches, and piers. The area is free and open to everyone.
• Velika Zaka - Another location with grass areas, sandy beaches, and piers.

Hiking

Bled itself does not have many hiking routes, but the surrounding areas and mountains offer plenty. We cover some hikes in other blog posts and plan to feature many more in the future.

• Mala Osojnica - One hiking route we want to highlight in this post is trail up to Mala Osojnica, a viewpoint above Lake Bled with fantastic views of the entire lake and the island with its church. In the app, you can view the hiking directions by selecting the Hiking directions menu option.

Bled castle

It takes about 15 minutes to walk uphill from Bled town to Bled Castle. The climb is short but rewarding, offering beautiful views once you arrive. Today, the castle is a museum featuring exhibitions about how people once lived in the area around Bled.

At the castle, there is a café with a fantastic view of the lake. There is also an excellent restaurant on the upper terrace.

Where to stay

Bled has many options for accommodation. Below is a selection of recommended places.

• Bled Rose Hotel - A 4 star modern and stylish hotel located approximately 100 meters from the lake and just below Bled Castle.
• Vila Bled - A former presidential residence that has been renovated and transformed into a high end 4-star luxury hotel that can accommodate the most demanding guests. Vila Bled used to be Titos residency next to Lake Bled. There is still a feeling of bygone historical times in the building.
• Grand Hotel Toplice - The hotel with the longest history and tradition in Bled. It is located in Bled town and next to the lake with a fantastic view over Bled Island with its church.
• Villas and apartments - Many residents and owners of villas and apartments rent them out during the tourist season. Most of them are of a high standard.

Restaurants and cafes

• Bled Rose Hotel - The restaurant is known for its blend of modern trends and traditional Slovenian cuisine, with ingredients sourced from local farmers. You can book a table by emailing. You can book a table by sending an email to info@bledrose.com or calling +386(0)4 5796 000.
• Bled Castle Restaurant - This is a high-quality restaurant run by the Jezeršek company, which operates many other restaurants throughout Slovenia, some of them award-winning. The restaurant at Bled Castle offers seating both indoors and outdoors on the upper terrace, with a spectacular view of the lake. You can book a table at this link.
• Hotel Triglav - Hotel Triglav has a high-quality restaurant, recognized by the Michelin Guide. The menu offers creative interpretations of traditional Slovenian dishes, further refined with a modern touch. You can book a table here
• Kavarna Park - Bled is also famous for its cream cake, which was invented by Ištvan Lukačevič around 70 years ago. He was the manager of the Park Hotel patisserie. Today, the Bled cream cake can be found at many locations across Slovenia, but you can still enjoy it at Kavarna Park, the successor to the original Park Hotel patisserie.